My small dog has bad breath & green discharge; vet won't pull teeth?

AT that age, dental disease is common. The odor and discolorations indicate an infection due to gingivitis and tartar build up. The only way to have that removed is the have her teeth cleaned at your vet. They can clean around the gums and polish teeth similar to how ours are done. They will remove any damaged or infected teeth. You will likely need antibiotics to go along with this to further treat the infection and continue with brushing to help prevent this again

How adorable! Often bad breat is related to dental disease. There may be gingivitis or she may have a tooth infection. Many times the teeth may look alright but a deeper exam under anesthesia often shows some problems. I recommend a dental exam by your veterinarian. If there is tartar or gum disease they will recommend a dental cleaning. Many veterinarians now take dental X-ray also to see pockets of infection around the tooth roots. After the teeth are cleaned then I recommend brushing the teeth or using an antibacterial mouth rinse. Small dogs tend to have more dental problems probably due to their smaller mouths compared to a big dog. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lela.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Buddy. My concern about his bad teeth is that they can become very painful causing him to have a loss of appetite. Without seeing him in person, I can't say what his anesthetic risk is, but if it's not bad, I would recommend having the dental work done. Have him seen by another vet for a second opinion. Best of luck.

It sounds like there are some anesthetic concerns and that your vet does not feel comfortable removing the incisors. You may want to ask about referral to a veterinary dentist if available in your area. Ideally Frodo should also have an echocardiogram performed by a cardiologist first to determine the extent of his heart disease and assess his risk under anesthesia. This website lists board certified dentists but there may also be a veterinarian in your area who limits practice to dentistry. https://www.avdc.org

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Tex! How old is Tex? The most common reason for bad breath is dental disease. Dental disease is the number one disease in cats and dogs. I am assuming the green thing is severe bacterial infected tartar on a tooth. Other causes for bad breath are metabolic conditions like kidney failure or diabetes. I recommend having Tex examined and his mouth checked by your Vet. If they recommend a dental they will also want to do pre-anesthetic blood work before hand. I hope this helps and I wish Tex the very best!

Poor Gracie! From what I can see in the photos, it does look like she has severe periodontal disease. I can't tell for sure if she will need extractions or not, as we usually have to check each tooth with a probe during the dental cleaning under anesthesia to evaluate whether it is healthy or not. I do think that Gracie definitely needs a dental procedure to get rid of the tartar and evaluate her teeth more closely, so I would recommend scheduling this with your veterinarian when you are able to. He/she can give you a better idea of what she may need during the procedure after checking her mouth in person.

Poor Tango! It sounds like he has severe dental disease, which is painful for the dog in addition to causing bad breath. I would definitely recommend taking him to the vet for an exam as soon as possible, since he sounds quite uncomfortable. Many older dogs are able to have dental cleanings without any problems, if they are otherwise healthy - your veterinarian can help you decide is this would be safe for Tango or not. If it’s determined that anesthesia would be too risky for him, your veterinarian may be able to prescribe antibiotics and pain medication to help reduce the infection and make his mouth less painful.